Baltimore Implements Treatment-on-Request Strategy December 28, 2000
News Summary
In an effort to reduce illicit drug use and overdose rates, officials in Baltimore, Md., are trying a treatment-on-request strategy, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly reported Dec. 18.Under the plan, anyone who seeks treatment in a program would be placed within 48 hours. "Baltimore's commitment to providing treatment on request has placed the city at the forefront of drug-policy innovation," said Mathea Falco, president of Drug Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based research institute.
Drug Strategies recently released a report entitled, "Smart Steps: Treating Baltimore's Drug Problems," which highlights the city's drug problem and the aggressive steps being taken to address it. According to report, the number of Baltimore residents that need treatment is nearly double the national average.
For the treatment-on-request strategy to work in Baltimore, experts say more state funding is needed. Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley has pledged to make increased funding for treatment his number-one priority. The Drug Strategies report recommended other sources of revenue, including tobacco settlement funds and raising the state's alcohol excise tax.
San Francisco, Calif., also is testing a treatment-on-request strategy.
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